Accies lose to promotion challengers

Accies lose to promotion challengers

PROMOTION-chasing Falkirk were the visitors to Memorial Field on Saturday.

The visitors were again forced o field an understrength team due to injury and unavailability so a big effort would be needed if they were to take anything from the game against their second-placed opponents.

Accies kicked off in sunny conditions but n a heavy pitch . Falkirk's Harry Russell fielded the kick and returned the ball upfield for the first lineout of the match. The visitors stole the first of their hosts lineout ball and quickly transferred play across the pitch, but good home defence particularly from Calum McKechnie and Milan Marinkovic thwarted the attack.

The home side began well and scored first when captain Stuart Lamont finished off a move from an attacking lineout in 12 minutes but the conversion was missed.

Accies were attempting to put the ball through the hands but were losing it in contact , allowing the visitors to produce well-supported drives into the home side's territory. In 20 minutes the visitors drove into the home 22. From a ruck , quick recycled ball was gathered by former Internationalist Craig Hamilton ,who drove in for the score. Liam Burns added the conversion to put his side in front.

The hosts had the opportunity to regain the lead three minutes later after Falkirk were penalised for crossing, but Jack Anderson's attempt rebounded off the left upright.

Accies twice in quick succession had chances to increase their points tally, but indecision by the scrum half caused any advantage to be lost.

In 35 minutes Liam Brims added another three points to the visitors tally, when he kicked a penalty after Accies were penalised for not releasing in the tackle.

Four minutes later Accies gifted the visitors a try , what should have been an easy clearance kick to touch was instead kicked directly into the opposition left winger's arms . He quickly counter-attacked across the field and Gordon McGuire ran in to score. The conversion was missed.

Two minutes into first half injury-time Falkirk's open side flanker stripped the ball from an home player and burst deep into the home half, and he offloaded to Brims who went in for the score. The conversion was good.

Falkirk started the second half and the ball was spilled giving Accies a scrum. Matt Hood, deputising at tight head prop for the unavailable Innes Frazer, was injured and had to leave the field. Scott Campbell came on as replacement in a re-jigged front row.

The visitors were beginning to keep their hosts on the back foot and also enjoying the majority of possession , their hosts in contrast were seemingly devoid of ideas and increasingly prone to shuffle the ball along the backs but with no particular sense of purpose.

In 50 minutes, another home side error allowed Falkirk to score their fourth nd bonus point try , the ball was again plundered all too easily from an Accies player and McGuire scored his second try of the afternoon, but the conversion was missed.

Visiting blind side flanker Gregor Brodie won the ball at a breakdown inside his own 22 and printed the length of the pitch to score, brushing aside ineffective tackles in the process. The conversion was good.

Falkirk further advanced their score after Mathew Tweddle scored a try and the conversion was good.

Accies scored a try in 70- minutes after Calum McKechnie produced a lovely break through the visitors defence to score. The conversion was good.

Falkirk scored their last try in the final minute again courtesy of poor play from the hosts but the conversion was missed.

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